1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an image forming apparatus and system, and more particularly, to an apparatus and system for forming color images.
2. Description of the Related Art
Apparatuses or systems for performing color printing from dynamic-image information, such as a video signal or the like, are known. A description will now be provided of a system for performing color printing by inputting a dynamic image from a VCR (video cassette recorder), serving as a dynamic-image-information reproducing apparatus, with reference to FIG. 1.
In FIG. 1, a video signal reproduced by a VCR 1101 is input to an input terminal 1104 of a video printer 1102, is then transmitted to an A/D (analog-to-digital) converter 1105 and to an output terminal 1108, and is output to a monitor 1103 via the output terminal 1108. The operator instructs the apparatus to accept an image of a desired picture frame by operating an operation unit 1110 when the desired picture frame has been reproduced while confirming reproduced images displayed on the monitor 1103.
A control unit 1111 which has received the instruction to accept the image from the operation unit 1110 outputs a control signal to a memory control circuit 1109, so that an input video signal representing one picture frame converted into a digital signal by the A/D converter 1005 is stored in a memory 1106.
Upon completion of storage of the video signal in the memory 1106, the operator instructs printing of the image by operating the operation unit 1110.
The control unit 1111 which has received the printing instruction from the operation unit 1110 controls the memory control circuit 1109 and a printing unit 1112, so that the video signal representing one picture frame stored in the memory 1106 is read out thereof, is converted into an analog signal by a D/A (digital-to-analog) converter 1107, and is output to the printing unit 1112, which outputs a color print.
In such a video printer, however, it is very difficult to complete the processing of extracting a picture frame to be printed from a video signal, which is a dynamic image signal, by a single operation with a good timing.
In addition, it is difficult to exactly reproduce the luminance or the color of a portion of a picture frame confirmed on the monitor in an obtained print.